Washington (CNN) – Democrats continued their attacks against Tim Pawlenty with a new video Monday.

On the same day former the Minnesota governor will announce his candidacy for president, the Democratic National Committee released a web spot questioning the Republican's intentions.
Monday's video focuses on a quote Pawlenty gave to TIME magazine earlier this year explaining his run.

"I don't know. I wish I had a better answer for you," the ad reads. "So do we!"

In the interview Pawlenty said he first considered running for president 15 or 20 years ago but he felt obliged to "go make some money and play hockey and drink beer."

The minute and a half ad also points to his approval ratings at the end of his second term as governor and takes swipes at his stance on cap and trade and praise of former President George W. Bush.

The DNC used the same TIME quote to jab Pawlenty on Friday and criticized him during the first GOP presidential debate, which was held earlier this month in Greenville, South Carolina. Three of the five DNC "fact checks" targeted Pawlenty, who was considered the only A-lister of the five candidates on stage.

soundoff(23 Responses)

He left a 5 billion dollar dept here....... thanks Tim ..... plus he ain't much of a hockey player

May 23, 2011 09:13 am at 9:13 am |

Henry

Democrats better keep acting this way because that is the way that Republicans ALWAYS act. You have to fight fire with fire. Keep it up. Go after these Republicans hard and fast and consistently. Take a page of their own playbook.

May 23, 2011 09:14 am at 9:14 am |

Rudy NYC

Criticize and Complain. He's a barker. The Governer has no solutions, and has not voiced anything that does not have the rubber stamp of the hard right that is driving the party--straight into the ditch.

May 23, 2011 09:15 am at 9:15 am |

Claudia, Houston, Tx

Republicans are like "lookie lews" who drive by just long enough to see unemployed Americans and then go to the media and talk about what they saw but don't lift a hand to help because they aren't the "good samaritans" they want us to believe. If it ain't happening to them, then it ain't happening, that's how out of touch Republicans are.

May 23, 2011 09:19 am at 9:19 am |

Minnesota woman

He was a terrible governor, ignoring the state for the last year while he prepped for his run. He left the state drowning in debt, and pushed for (and won) a conceal and carry gun law that divided the state something awful.
He also announced his candidacy last night, while the heart of Minneapolis was being ripped up by a tornado.

He never cared about Minnesota; like all GOP'ers, he's in it for himself, and for corporate America.

May 23, 2011 09:22 am at 9:22 am |

'merica ruined by rethugs

Saw little Timmy making his rounds this morning on CBS and NBC using the same canned speech full of lies. He was ill-prepared when Matt Lauer busted him on his "fiscal responsibility" lie/talking point. The Republican gov that is Timmy's successor in MN blasted Timmy for leaving a mess to clean up. No matter how much he says he's going to look us in the eye and face some hard thruths, he's a spineless individual that plays loosely with the truth and is a Teabag fool.

May 23, 2011 09:27 am at 9:27 am |

don

I think this country has yet to learn,"If your middleclass or poverty level income,and don,t care if the Gov. makes the disision that your wife has a child or not, no healthcare,no foodstamps, no FDA,no entitlements????? Vote GOP/TP!!! If they want to vote in a Party "That uses "Slandering the President 100% of the time, Just to get votes, "You no your not dealing with a full deck???? I happen to be middleclass? I refuse to listen to Gop Smear! Much less Tea!!!!! Dah?

May 23, 2011 09:27 am at 9:27 am |

Texas Doc

Again, I have to ask: Who is this guy?

May 23, 2011 09:30 am at 9:30 am |

Expat American

The Democratic Party has never campaigned in the same manner as Republicans; it’s about time, as long as the DNC stays focused on the issues. You can’t maintain the intellectual high ground and expect to win without getting a little mud on you (2004). The GOP hasn't had any new ideas or solutions since 2000; that is since the war criminals Bush and Cheney assumed office and they still don't.

The world abroad already knows that Republicans will go as far as outright lying to the American public and committing mass genocide just to win an election; this is how sick these people are. History will remember this Republican character trait.

May 23, 2011 09:32 am at 9:32 am |

Papasan

Wow!

He sounds like G.W. Bush, and that can't be good...

May 23, 2011 09:42 am at 9:42 am |

RG

Just wait until it gets closer to the primaries and the Republicans turn on each other, as only they can do. It's gonna get ugly, real ugly.

May 23, 2011 09:48 am at 9:48 am |

DAK

Since the election of 2008, all I've heard from the Right has been to distrust the government and the media... now they want me to vote for someone from the same party that has done nothing NOTHING but obstruct the President? Has done NOTHING but tell one lie after another and even had the bad manners to yell out during a Presidential speech? They want my vote for these childish antics? Never in a million years would Ivote for anyone from the current GOP party because they either do these things or support those that do. If the GOP wants my vote, they need to act like an adult and work for solutions, not simply lie about how bad President Obama is.

May 23, 2011 09:49 am at 9:49 am |

Publius Novus

Wow! This is the best they've got? It's time for the Republicans not only to worry about losing the 2012 presidential race big time, but to start worrying about the down-ticket effect. What with the problems they are going to have with their far right wing, they may not take the Senate. In fact, if they continue to run small government, anti-taxes for anyone, anti-debt ceiling, and anti-Medicare, they may not hold the House.

Republicans began painting themselves into a corner in 1980. If the cornerstones of your party are ever-shrinking government and taxes, you are bound to reach a finite limite for your program. The tax cut, anti-tax, no new taxes mantra has reached that point, with 51% of reporting taxpayers reporting NO federal income tax liability. It's pretty hard to give taxpayers with no liability a rate cut. Likewise, further and more tax cuts have totally lost their stimulative effect on the economy. Time to put the God Reagan aside fellas and gals. You've about run out this string, regardless of whether it was sound policy. You need some new ideas.

May 23, 2011 09:51 am at 9:51 am |

JB

Interesting because everybody I talk to democrat or independent, or republican like Tim and see him as a alternative to Obama. He no doubt stands a real chance in theeye of the democrat party as you can tell they are nervous about him running. Well they should, they should be embarrassed with how there president has acted stupidly for 2 years ignoring our debt crisis (Which Obama had no clue was coming) . The list is so long I really don't have time. But coming from a person who voted for Obama I am now looking for other options.

May 23, 2011 09:56 am at 9:56 am |

John

That right Tim Pawlenty don't know anything just ask the people of Minnesota, that as GOV he left the state FIVE BILLIONS DOLLAR IN DEPT. He sound like a winner.The Republican CIRCUS just Keep Coming. Let not forget we till got Saran Palin and MICHELE BACHMANN, These two will make the side show of the Republican Party . Now here DUMB AND DUMBER.

May 23, 2011 09:58 am at 9:58 am |

Chumlee

Go Democrats! Expose this loser Pawlenty for what he is – an idiot who destroyed the State fo Minnesota's economy.

He is a light-weight, uneducated tea partier!

May 23, 2011 10:02 am at 10:02 am |

Mitch Ohlendorf

The Democrats know well of which they speak. They haven't had ANY answers for quite some time.

May 23, 2011 10:03 am at 10:03 am |

Rudy NYC

JB wrote:
He no doubt stands a real chance in the eye of the democrat party as you can tell they are nervous about him running.
-----------------------
TimPaw is at the bottom of the polls. What the Democratic (not democrat) Party is doing is classic politics. They are defining the Republican field as a whole, and wasting no time going about it. The practice is pushing the candidates to the hard right to defend themselves, or suffer the wrath of Tea Party. The message is simple, "Don't be fooled. They're all the same. Watch this. See?"

May 23, 2011 10:06 am at 10:06 am |

Mitch Ohlendorf

However, if the guy who posted just before me can get his incoherent, nonsensical comment through, I've got a chance.

May 23, 2011 10:07 am at 10:07 am |

Lost in Texas FOREVER

welcome to the BIG TIME Gov P. The fun has just begun.

May 23, 2011 10:25 am at 10:25 am |

altoonagirl

He's an empty suit with no new ideas of his own. He left the state in terrible shape and would continue policies of the GOP that got us into this mess in the first place. Will we never learn?